China cannot feed itself, and as they grow in power that will push them to build an empire.
They are dependent on food imports from Australia, Russia, and South America. These must be maintained or millions of Chinese will starve. The Chinese military will be used to prevent any threat to these supplies.
Last year an armada of 300 Chinese fishing vessels were stealing fish near the Galápagos Islands (Ecuador’s exclusive economic zone). This year they are back this time stealing fish from Argentine waters. They need food, and like everything else they need or want, they will take it one way or another.
I agree that China is in a desperate food situation. And even though they are buying up farmland, they still have to move that food to China.
The Chinese military cannot watch all the sea lanes and all the farms. If their own people are not working the farms, there is too much opportunity for “gremlins” to mess up the food pipeline.
Just like Japan for the oil during WWII, they could not last without that oil coming in, neither can China last without the food coming in.